Want the cool and rhythmic sound of live jazz curling into your ears while surrounded by curious and stunning works of art? Then you may be interested in visiting the Dayton Art Institute on select Thursdays starting March 14!
The “Bob Ross Auto Group Jazz and Beyond” is a series of jazz groups that come together and play music at the museum.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and all performances take place at 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the museum’s Shaw Gothic Cloister.
Admission is free for museum members and $8 for non-members. Food and drinks are available for cash purchase at each concert.
The season kicks off with the Classic Jazz Stompers on March 14, followed by the Kick-N-Flava on April 4.
Jazz singer and writer Duante Beddingfield will perform on July 11 and on August 8 Laney & The Tramps will play, featuring the Queen City Sisters.
Finishing the season will be the Joe Policastro Trio, who will perform on October 10 and the Puzzle of Light will play on Nov. 14.
The series celebrates 25 years of jazz at the Dayton Art Institute and is sponsored by the Bob Ross Auto Group.
Local groups and artists include the Classic Jazz Stompers, Kick-N-Flava, Duante Beddingfield and Puzzle of Light, who are all from the Dayton area. The Queen City Sisters come from Cincinnati.
Laney & The Tramps come to the Gem City from Minnesota and the Joe Policastro Trio is based in Chicago.
The series contains a wide range from the jazz scene, from classic smooth jazz, rhythmic up-tempo jazz, to pop remakes that will fulfil the rich jazz culture presented at the museum.
“When you come to see our show, prepare to be entertained to the fullest,” Kick-N-Flava said to the Dayton Daily News. “We’re a high-energy, performing-type group that gets the people up and dancing.”
The Classic Jazz Stompers, who will be performing on March 14, have been performing since the 1980s, reintroducing jazz from the 1920s and 30s to audiences ranging from their native Dayton area to spots around the country and even abroad.
Kick-N-Flava, performing on April 4, offers “soulful ballads, danceable R&B, smooth jazz, high-octane funk and contemporary pop.” (Dayton Daily News)
The group has performed at the Five Rivers Metro Park Concert Series, as well as other events in the Dayton area.
Singer Duante Beddingfield brings a unique mixture of standard and modern pop into the classic jazz world and is the host of WYSO FM’s “Equinox” jazz program. He performs regularly around the Dayton area, including Gilly’s nightclub.
Laney & The Tramps was created by a group of four high school students with wonderous musical talent. They have opened for a TED talk presentation at the Zeitgeist Art Center in Louisiana and compose their own music. They also perform covers of jazz and blues artists.
Queen City Sisters is an a cappella women’s trio with an arrangement of songs from the 1930s through the 50s. They have performed all over Cincinnati, spreading a little “Hollywood glamour” to local areas, as well as across the country.
The Joe Policastro Trio is a Chicago-based alternative jazz trio known for their open-minded style while keeping to the acoustic jazz they’re so well known for. Their wide range of musical style is portrayed in their original music as well as in covers they do. They have even performed for former U.S. president Barack Obama.
The last group of the series, Puzzle of Light, plays from “jazz and rock to ethnic and world music” (Dayton Local). Their music is made up of flutes, harmonica, vocals and percussion. The group’s music depict their love for nature and world cultures, adding a distinctive sound to the jazz world. The local group performs around the Dayton area, including colleges.
All seating for the event is general admission.
Yasel Rosado
Reporter